CAIRO - Egyptian youths camped out on Thursday in Cairo's Tahrir Square and vowed to stay put until the army hands power to civilians, a day after a mass demonstration marked a year since an uprising which brought down Hosni Mubarak.

Tens of thousands of Egyptians poured into the square and onto streets of other cities for the Jan 25 anniversary of the day the revolt began. They vowed to re-ignite their unfinished revolution, in a day billed as a celebration by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces that took power when Mubarak was ousted on February 11.

Egypt's press on Thursday hailed the "revival" of the revolution.

"The revolution continues," trumpeted the independent daily Al-Shorouq, saying millions of Egyptians wanted to see "the end of military rule".

"The people want the continuation of the revolution," proclaimed the state-owned Al-Ahram, above a large picture of massive crowds thronging Tahrir Square - the symbolic heart of the Egyptian protests.

The Tahrir crowds were broadly split between youths demanding the army cede control to civilians immediately and Islamists celebrating a political transformation that has handed them sweeping gains in parliament after decades of repression.

Sit-ins have in the past sparked violence when the police and army have sought to clear protesters out, but on Thursday the scene was peaceful.

Scores of youths occupied the square surrounded by dozens of tents pitched on traffic islands. Vendors sold hot drinks and some activists huddled round open fires to keep warm in the morning air.

"The military council is leading a counter-revolution. We will protest until the military council goes," said 23-year-old student Samer Qabil.

The army council took over when Mubarak was ousted and is led by his defense minister for two decades, Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi. It has insisted it will hand power to civilians after a presidential election in June. But many activists say they fear it wants to hold onto power behind the scenes.

The army and police kept their distance from the square during Wednesday's demonstration in an apparent effort to ensure there was no cause for friction.

Reuters